


Five Songs

by Tetraktys



Category: My Candy Love
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 09:23:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17505944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tetraktys/pseuds/Tetraktys
Summary: I really loved MCL UL Episode 9's dream, but alas it was just a dream and the story didn't move much further.This is my take on what could have happened after the party. Visual novel stile, you will make a choice in Chapter 1 that will lead you to one of the LIs, the only way to know which one is to read the chapter (or ctrl+F if you really want to spoil the surprise).Rating is somewhere between Mature and Explicit, I am going to leave Explicit just because I got a little carried away in a couple of moments. Ehm...This fan fiction is inpired by music, each chapter has its own soundtrack and I highly recommend listening to the song while reading.





	1. Chapter 1

 

“Was she serious?!”

I looked at the door of the café closing behind Clemence’s back in disbelief. She had ‘asked’ me to stay behind and clean the place, most surely taking advantage of the fact that Hyun wasn’t around to tell her off.

What was I going to do? On one hand I should just get this out of the way, but I was angry, really angry. Those two assholes had almost ruined my night. Also, talking with all those artists tonight made me realise that I really had a lot to learn if I wanted to have a future in this industry. On the other hand it was late, I should go home and sleep.

 

What am I choosing?

 

  * I’m angry, I want to drink and dance and take my mind off things, I am going to the Snake Room. (Go to Chapter 2)



 

  * I am worried about my thesis, I should go to the library. (Go to Chapter 3)



 

  * I should get this chore out of the way, I am staying at the café to clean the place. (Go to Chapter 4)



 

  * I am tired, I am going to worry about everything tomorrow. I am going back to my room. (Go to Chapter 5)



 

  * I’m angry and I really feel like exercising to burn off some steam, I am going to the gym. (Go to Chapter 6)




	2. Lips on You

I walked into the bar and right away started to feel overwhelmed and a little insecure. Going dancing alone wasn’t really my thing, I usually preferred to be surrounded by friends and goof around the dancefloor together. This, however, wasn’t one of those nights. I was angry, really angry, and needed to let off some steam. I made way in the crowd towards the bar to get some liquid courage. Either the line was shorter than I imagined or the low cut and sheer fabric of my shirt had something to do with it, but the barman served me right away. I almost chocked on the shot I was taking because I thought I saw a familiar figure in the corner of my eye. No, no, no… I wasn’t going to allow him to ruin my night again! No, I wasn’t going to turn around and check if that was really him. I wasn’t going to engage him and allow him to treat me like an idiot, I said my piece at the café, I was done!

I took a second shot and made my way towards the dance floor. The area was crowded and the air very hot, I pushed my hair on one shoulder and started swaying my hips to the sound of a rock song I didn’t recognise. It was really dark but sometimes a flash of light showed my surroundings. Many bodies moving, touching, loosing themselves in the rhythm, and I let myself loose too. My brain finally shut up and my movements got more sensual, nothing else existed aside from pure instinct. I saw a tall guy approach me with clear intent in his eyes, and I thought that was exactly what I needed, cheap distraction. I didn’t try to stop him when he got close enough to touch me, however something else did. He looked a little scared and raised his hands in a clear yielding gesture, turning on his heels and leaving. I got a pretty good idea of what was going on but decided to ignore anything and anyone who might or might not be behind me and kept dancing. Maroon 5’s “Lips on You” started playing, I closed my eyes and got lost into the music again.

I felt a presence at my back and a soft touch on my elbows. His fingers caressed my arms… slowly… sexually, and I felt a shiver running up my spine. I know I was supposed to stop him, some small part of my brain, the one that was still functioning, was trying to remind me that I was still very mad at him, however I was far too gone, lost to the music and his touch. While the words “ _when I put my lips on you”_ were playing from the speakers he put his own lips on me, in the hollow of between neck and shoulder. I felt my skin burning where he was leaving small kisses and, despite my resolve, I titled my head to give him better access. His lips slowly travelled the length of my neck until they reached my ear where he whispered “You are too sexy for your own good, I was going to break his face.” I sighed… always so possessive my Castiel.

He put his arms around my waist, caging me in his embrace. I swayed my hips against him and heard a low groan escape his lips, proving that I was affecting him as much as he was doing to me. He put his hands on my hips and started moving against me and I felt exactly _how much_ I was affecting him. I reached behind me, tangled my fingers in his hair and pushed his head lower, towards my face. When his lips where just an inch away from mine I smiled mischievously and, raising on the tips of my feet I said to his ear “I though you didn’t like dancing”.

I felt one of his hands reaching the hem of my shirt, slipping under it. I caught my breath when I felt his fingers caressing my belly and heard him chuckle and whisper “I have always loved you more than I hated anything else”. I went still in his arms, shocked by his words “I’m sorry for tonight, I was an idiot. I saw you alone with him, and I stopped thinking. The truth is… I have not been able to think straight since I saw you at my concert and knew you were back in town. Please forgive me.”

A couple of seconds went by while I stared into nothing trying to make sense of his words. Then, still in his arms, I turned around, tangled both my hands in his hair and pushed his face towards mine. I attacked his lips with my own, hungry, desperate. After a second of frozen surprise he quickly caught up and started kissing me with the same burning desire, his hands under my shirt on my back, pushing my chest towards his. It was like we were trying to make up for four stupid dull years in a single moment, and only the knowledge that we were in a very public place stopped us from going any further. I don’t know for how long we went on kissing on that dancefloor, it could have been hours or mere minutes when the music stopped and we noticed the people around us starting to move towards the entrance. I was breathing heavily and my lips felt bruised and raw. I looked him in the eyes for the first time since our fight and I saw him staring at me with that same look I recognised from so many years ago, a teasing, sarcastic and slightly annoyed look that was so typically Castiel but that hid something else when it was directed at me, hunger, desire and… love, simply love. I suddenly got scared. “I… I should go. It’s getting late” and ran towards the exit.

I was running in the streets when I felt him grab my wrist forcing me to turn towards him. I stood there shocked, I knew he could easily catch up with me, but I didn’t think he would do it, it wasn’t like him. “Not so fast little girl, you are not getting rid of me again. I’m not letting you run away a second time.”

I didn’t know what to say “We… we can’t Castiel. I… I can’t do this.” I hid my face in my hands, unable to look at him again.

“Why?” he said softly, such tenderness in his voice, I froze again surprised. He had always been so hot tempered in the past, he had matured so much.

“Our lives… are not compatible. You have your music and soon you’ll be even more famous touring around the country, hundreds of fans throwing themselves at you… you’ll be the one running away, not me.” I felt my eyes start burning all of a sudden, I wasn’t going to cry, never again!

“Little girl… look at me.” He was still soft, but firm, and slightly pissed off, matured or not he was still Castiel. He pushed my hands from my face and forced me to look at him “Do you think I give a shit about any of this? About fame and women? I just want to play my music, and I only see you. It has always been you.”

My voice was shaking when I replied “The first time almost… I am not going to survive a second break up Castiel.”

 He pulled one of my hands towards his lips and kissed the centre of my palm. “I am not the same immature 18 years old I was before. Nothing can stop me from getting what I want, and there’s never been anything in my life I have wanted more than you, not even my music.”

I wanted to believe him, so much. But I was too scared to give in. Everything was going too fast, I came back in this town for my studies, my future, I wasn’t going to jeopardise everything for something that had a very high chance of leaving me alone with a broken heart, again.

“Let me go, Castiel… please.” I begged.

“Never” he replied, however he let go of my hand. “But I will let you go home now. You are exhausted after the amazing job you did, I always knew you were talented but you were able to surprise even me tonight.”

I felt flattered but, in a typical Castiel way, he managed to overthrow the compliment with his next few words “You need time to rest and think about me and how much you love me. Your brain is not calibrated to sustain so many emotions in such a short time” he said with a teasing self-assured smile.

I felt some courage get back in me and slightly irritated I said “You are always so sure of yourself Castiel, I never said anything about still loving you or wanting to get back together for all that matter. I have a whole life that doesn’t necessarily involve you.” I turned around, heading towards the entrance of the university campus.

“Sure… and you won’t be dreaming about me tonight and what happened on that dance floor, right?” he said, I could feel the smirk in his tone.

“Correct.” I replied curtly.

“You have always been a poor liar” he teased “I bet you will be tossing and turning in your bed every night until you’ll stop being such a scaredy-cat and run back to me. Don’t worry, little girl, I’m ready to help you with that” he added bragging.

It was just too much “Don’t hold your breath” I said, then added over my shoulder “Actually, yes please hold it” and walked through the dormitory entrance and closed the door in his face.

I thought I had shaken him up, at least a little, but he simply laughed while walking away and said “Game on, little girl.”


	3. La Tortura

I was walking around campus towards the library. Even though the last couple of weeks had been calmer and I was slowly catching up with my thesis, a part of me was still worried and I knew I had to step up my game. Since it was already pretty late I thought it made sense to stay up and pull an all-nighter in the library. By the end of the nigh I was going to at least have completed a draft of the first chapter.

The other day I googled _How to pull an all-nighter_ (yes, this was my first time, I had never been such a meticulous student before) and the first item of the list was, understandably, coffee, lots and lots of coffee. I looked at the time on my phone, it was really late. Damn it, I should have gotten some at the café, no way I was going back there now though. I sighed, the horrible vending machine coffee was my only option. I stopped in my tracks and changed direction, the closest vending machine was in the Art Building’s break room.

I went up the stairs and entered the building. The place gave a really eerie feeling at night. I made a mental note to tell Chani there was no need to travel around the country looking for haunted mansions, she just needed to walk around campus at night. I quickly walked towards the break room but I suddenly froze. I had definitely heard a muffled noise coming from the corridor on my right.

 _Come on Candy! Don’t be stupid, it’s just your imagination._ Yes, of course… but then I heard the noise again. No reason to start panicking. Nothing supernatural was going on here, it wasn’t the first time I heard strange noises in dark places at night and it always ended up being my aunt! It had already happened in this same building at least a couple of times already. I instantly felt relieved, I should look for her and say hi, maybe she would even give me a present!

I followed the direction of the noise and ended up in front of a non-descriptive door I had never seen before. I entered the room without knocking and stopped dead in my tracks, like a deer in the headlights.

“Candy?” said the man behind the desk looking at me confused “What are you doing here?”

I was in Rayan… Mr Zaidi’s office. He was sitting behind a pile of documents, the room was dimly lit by just the lamp on the desk, but I could tell that he looked quite tired and… were those reading glasses he was wearing?

“Candy?” he repeated and I woke up from my stupor, how was I going to explain this? I really didn’t do it on purpose.

“I’m sorry… I was going to the break room and heard a noise and… and…” I was just fumbling for words. “I won’t disturb you any longer” I was about to close the door when he spoke.

“Wait” he said “come in” he pointed at a chair in front of his desk “what I really want to know is what are you doing in this building at this hour of the night.”

I sighed, entered the office closing the door behind me and sat on the chair. However I pushed it back to create a bit more distance between him and me. As if a few inches would make any difference, but I really didn’t trust my judgment when I was alone with this man, and I knew that a desk separating us wasn’t insurance enough.

“I was going to the library to study and stopped to get some coffee” I said looking at my fingers.

He was silent for a few moments and then said calmly “Candy… look at me.”

I hesitantly raised my gaze to meet his, he was smiling at me sweetly “Candy, you shouldn’t be so worried about your studies. You are a serious student and have a brilliant mind, you really have nothing to worry about, believe me.”

“How… how can you be so sure?” I asked surprised and a little flattered by his compliment.

“I am your professor” he replied as if that was a really dumb question “No one knows better than I do. Also, your thesis topic is really interesting, I am sure it’s going to be a pleasure reading it once it’s done.” He smiled and I couldn’t help smiling back at him. A sudden thought seemed to cross his mind because he added abruptly “Go get some sleep now, it’s really too late to study, you can start afresh tomorrow morning.” And went back to study his papers without giving me a second look.

That annoyed me. Had he just dismissed me? For work? It was too late for me to study but he could work?

“Pardon me… _sir_ ” I said remarking the last word. He had called me by my first name the whole time, which was perfectly fine since we had decided to be friends or… whatever this was, why treating me warmly one second and cold the next? “Isn’t it also too late to work?”

He looked at me raising an highbrow. I thought he was going to kick me out of his office when he sighed, took off his glasses and said “Touché.”

He got up from his chair, walked around the desk and leaned on its edge, right in front of me. So close that our feet were almost touching and I had to slightly tilt my head to look him in the eyes. “Believe me or not I was actually trying to relax.”

I looked at him doubtful and he laughed a little “it’s not really the type of music people would expect in an Art department.” Only then I registered that he was actually listening to… latin music? “Which is a really stupid assumption to make, as if any art historian is supposed to only love jazz or classical music.” He shook his head. “The volume must have been higher than I thought though… since it lead you to me.”

My heart skipped a beat at the ambiguous way he had expressed himself. He smirked “You should try… you know… latin music is very… sensual. The best way to take your mind off things.”

Was he trying to embarrass me? Well, two could play that game. “Depends on what you are actually trying to get your mind off, otherwise it could be counter-productive.”

He sniggered “Very true. But this is not really the case, isn’t it? Get up, I am going to give you another dance lesson, after that night on the beach we both know you really need it.”

Funny. Was he trying to make me think that all this pent up sexual frustration was only in my head by pretending to act innocently? It wasn’t really his modus operandi, he had always been pretty straight-forward with me… to a certain point. I briefly considered what had happened between us until now. More than once he had admitted to feeling something, a connection, and ended up backing away immediately. He had touched my lips and my shoulders and apologised right away saying it could never happen again. Was he actually playing me?! Was he trying to seduce me wearing me to the point that I would be the one making the first move so that, in the end, it was all my fault? Again, two could play this game, I wasn’t going to give in first. Also, I wasn’t as clumsy as he thought I was.

Shakira’s La Tortura started playing. I moved toward the edge of the chair so that he had to bend down his head to see me, and I looked at him right in the eyes. I raised my hand at exactly the right high to suggest that I would possibly… but then rested it on his thigh, just for a second, and pretended to remove some invisible strand from his trousers. “Fine” I said nonchalantly, quite satisfied seeing that he had lost a little of his composure. I raised slowly and when there were just a few inches of distance between us, looking at him innocently, I said “Teach me whatever you want.”

I saw his green eyes turn really dark. He briefly studied my face, then removed his jacket and placed his hands on my waist leading us towards the centre of the room. There he tightened his grip on me and pushed our bodies against each other. We were joined at the hips and he pushed a knee between my legs.

“Put your hands around my neck” he ordered, and I complied a little flustered. The song was right, this was really a _torture_ , what the hell was I doing? The guy was waaay more experienced than me. _Get a grip on yourself_ I though, _he can’t win!_

“Start moving your hips, whatever feels natural”

I started moving my hips in a circular motion while he pushed against me, moving us one step forward and one backward. I was basically grinding on his leg while he moved his hands from my waist to my hips. One of my hands started moving up and down caressing his neck and tangling briefly in his hair. The other was bolder. I slowly moved it to the front of his chest and did something I had wanted to do since the first time I had met him. I slid my hand under the obscenely deep neckline of his shirt.

A low growl escaped his throat. “Candy” he said as an admonishment “what game are you playing?”

“The same one you have been playing for a while” I replied.

“Have I now…” he said pensive, possessively cupping my face with one of his hands and resting his thumb on my lower lip. I could read it in his eyes he was trying to make up his mind, so I did the only thing that came to _my_ mind. While staring at him directly in his eyes I wrapped my lips around the tip of his finger and sucked.

This time his growl was anything but low, while he crushed his lips on mine and kissed me with a passion I had never felt before. His hands where everywhere, on my back, my waist, my hips. I tried to keep up while kissing him with the same heath. The moment we came up for air I felt him stiffen between my arms.

“I’m sorry” he said “it’s my fault.”

“What?” I replied surprised.

“I shouldn’t have. We can’t… I can’t…” he left my embrace and started pacing around the room.

“It’s not like you forced yourself on me… I was quite encouraging.” I seduced him so that I wouldn’t end up being the one falling first, but I didn’t like this scenario either. He shouldn’t feel guilty.

“Indeed, but I am the teacher here, I should know better.”

“And now what, we should pretend nothing happened? Business as usual?”

He stopped in front of me, went to touch my cheek but halfway there changed his mind and stopped before he could make contact with my skin.

“This is your final year of university, I shouldn’t rob you of this time of your life. You should be with someone your age, like your co-worker Hyun, or someone else” he said pained.

“Are you really suggesting I should hook up with Hyun?” I was starting to get really angry.

“That’s not what I meant” he replied serious “I just want you to live a carefree life, you shouldn’t hide and lie only to be with someone 10 years older than you, who also happens to be your professor. It isn’t worth it.”

He saw the shocked expression on my face and quickly added “I am not worthy.”

“I will be the one to judge what is worthy my time, tank you _sir_ …” I replied sarcastically “However I won’t stay here bagging you to want me.”

No, I wasn’t going to do that, because I knew he wanted me already, he was just scared. Of losing his job, of ruining my studies… of his past. However, we had crossed a line and there was nothing we could do to go back to that grey area we were before. I didn’t want to anyway. I bet the next classes were going to be quite interesting.

I headed towards the door and, once there, I turned around to look at him one last time and said.

“Thank you for the dancing lesson sir, it was very… instructive. Looking forward to our class on Monday.”

And with a mischievous smile I left the room, leaving him utterly speechless.

 

 


	4. Quit Playing

I looked around the place trying to decide where to start first. Luckily, food had been cooked elsewhere by the catering service so the kitchen was clean and all the dirty dishes had been taken away once they left. What I had to do was to collect the garbage lying around the room and clean the floor. I could have easily done it in the morning I guessed, but I knew that the moment my head was on a pillow I was going to sleep for the next 12 hours straight.

I came back from the kitchen with a big rubbish bag and a broom. I paused for a moment and looked at my phone, cleaning up was always easier with some background music. I accessed my music app and selected a random playlist. I had just started swapping the floor when a thought crossed my mind. I was very visible from the outside, with all the lights on in the café at this hour of the night, anyone could see me being alone in here. I went to the light switches and turned off all the lights in the room except for the ones in the kitchen and the lamps that Nina had lent us. The room was now lit enough that I could see the furniture and avoid tripping every two seconds, but it would have been almost impossible to spot me from the street.   

I started collecting all the rubbish I could find. Someone had lost an earring, I put it in a drawer by the till in case they came back looking for it. There I also found my keys lying on the floor, thank god I hadn’t gone back to campus, I would have ended up spending the night on the floor locked out of my room. 

I had been cleaning for an hour or so when one of my favourite songs came up on the playlist. I started singing along while brushing the floor pretending the broom was a microphone. I got really into it headbanging and twirling around the room when, suddenly, I caught something in the corner of my eye. I stopped immediately with a frightened cry, there was someone sitting in the darkest corner of the room, someone who… was laughing his ass off!

“I’m sorry Candy” Hyun said with tears in his eyes “I didn’t want to frighten you” he kept laughing “you didn’t hear me coming in and I thought I might just…”

“You thought you could just sit and enjoy the show, right?” I said annoyed, ashamed but also a little bemused.

“I’m sorry, really. It was just too funny!” he went on “I swear I have only been for like… well… most of it.”

I was mortified, that really wasn’t the image I wanted popping in his head whenever he thought about me. “What are you doing here, anyway? You left ages ago.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, my parents sent me a text asking me to call them. I was worried but I shouldn’t have, it was nothing serious. I was just about to go to bed when I had the terrible thought that Clemence might have ‘asked’ you to stay and clean the place. I came back to make sure it wasn’t the case but, apparently, I was right.” He looked around the room “You are basically done, sorry for being late. At least it seemed like you were having fun” and he started laughing again.

“Hyun!” I cried stomping my feet on the floor and puffing my cheeks like a child.

“Sorry, sorry!” He raised his hands looking at me apologetically “It’s just that… you are just too cute.”

I felt myself starting to blush a little when I noticed that he was still grinning like an idiot and realised that he was just trying to appease me, as if I was a child or a puppy. I knew in my heart that it wasn’t exactly the case, I knew that he liked me, at least a little. We had been flirting every now and then for a while now, but he had never stepped up. Could that be because he only saw me as a girl and not as a woman? He had seen me being a klutz at the café many times, and even though he was also a bit of a dork sometimes, I really didn’t want that to be the only impression he had of me. Suddenly an idea came to my mind, it was risky and could totally backfire but I was willing to try, he had just seen me at my lamest so I had nothing to lose.

“You know what Hyun” I said with fake confidence crossing my arms “since you apparently like to watch, you can give me your opinion on something. A while ago a friend and I prepared a small choreography for a contest which we never ended up performing, she broke her leg a week before. I have always wondered what people would have thought of it.”

That really got his attention, he sat straight on the chair and looked at me intently. “I’m not an expert but I can definitely give you an honest opinion.” He said blushing a little.

“Thanks” I replied and pulled a chair in the middle of the room. “Please sit here.”

He complied while I headed to my phone and selected the song I was looking for. During my third year I became good friend with a girl who was a huge K-pop fan. She was so passionate about it, that she begged me to enter a contest together to attend a famous boy band concert in Seoul. She was devastated when she fell from her bike right before we could perform. The first notes of “Quit Playing” from U-Kiss started and I headed towards the centre of the room, a few feet in front of Hyun. I saw a surprised and somewhat embarrassed look crossing his face, he must have recognised the song. K-pop was usually more cute than sexy, but this song… it really hit it out of the park, it had an upbeat but sensual rhythm and the MV showed a 2 boys/1 girl threesome… between other things. I briefly pictured myself squeezed between Hyun and another man who looked suspiciously like Mr Zaidi… Nope, nope… it was not the time to go there… I came back to the present and let the music lead me.

The choreography was purposefully as sensual as the music, I raised my hands and let them slowly run down along the curves of my body. I turned around and let my hips swirl while I slightly bended on a side. I looked him right in the eyes and I saw him quite affected by the show. He was staring at me with a hunger I had never seen him display before. He looked at me from top to bottom, and I felt his gaze caressing my skin, my calves and the length of my legs. I was still wearing my Charleston dress, which proved to be quite fitting in these circumstances as the fringes jumped around at the smallest movement of my hips, leaving my thighs mostly bare. He seemed to be painfully aware of this since, even though he looked at me all over, his gaze kept slipping back to that particular spot.

Once the song reached its peak I slowly started heading towards him. I bent down leaning on the back of his chair while looking at him straight in the eyes. I saw him swallow, appearing completely bewitched. Once my lips where just an inch away from his I smirked, got up again and moved at his back. I hugged him from behind and run my nose along his neck leaving a small kiss on his chin. _Stop messing with my mind_ said the song, I twirled again and landed on his legs, straddling him. On the last notes of the song I put my hands on the back of his chair so that he had to tilt his head up to see me and I let my lips hover over his, just a few inches away and… stopped. Panting heavily just a breath away from his lips.

“So?” I asked once I caught my breath “What do you think?”

He looked at me pensively “That I am really glad you ended up not performing” then he added “Do you know the meaning of the lyrics” I only had a general idea so I shook my head to say no. “The guy is basically pleading the girl not to mess with his head because men are simple minded and easily bewitched” he stared me straight in my eyes and added “Is this what you are doing?”

I cocked my head on the side “I don’t know… is it working? I can’t tell.”

At those words he put his hands on my hips and pushed my lower half closer to his and a breath escaped my lips. Oh, it was working indeed… “I’m not that _cute_ then…” was the first thing that came to my mind.

He smiled timidly and raised his head leaving a feather-like kiss on my lips “Always.” I felt his hands moving slowly along my thighs while he added “You are cute, sexy, funny, smart and passionate… and I am simply crazy about you.” I looked at him surprised, had he just… confessed? I quickly got up from his lap and pretended to straighten my dress from some invisible wrinkle. How could I feel shy… now? When two seconds ago I was grinding on him with my ass basically in his hands? We started rearranging chairs and tables. The atmosphere was now heavy and I didn’t know what to do or say. _I like you too?_ No, too ordinary… and he hadn’t exactly say that, had he? I was going to spend the next several days analysing his words and reactions, God… I was trying to act like a femme fatale but I really was a klutz! Once we were done, we turned on the alarm, locked the door and headed towards the campus. I tried unsuccessfully to make same small talk but we were still really embarrassed.

Once we reached the dorms entrance I said goodnight and tried to quickly run towards my room.

“Candy wait” he said. I turned around and saw him stopping in front of me. “I know you were playing and I freaked you out, but…”

“No, Hyun” I tried to explain but he stopped me.

“Let me finish, please.” He said, looking at me sweetly. “I really do like you. A lot. I wasn’t kidding.” He put a hand on my cheek “One day soon I am going to ask you out, and I really hope you say yes.” He leaned and left a sweet kiss me on my forehead. “Goodnight” he said smiling, and headed towards his room.

I stayed there looking at him walking away, a smile also on my lips.

_Soon._


	5. Holy

Outside my room I was frantically searching my bag for my keys. Nothing! I lightly banged my head on the door frame with a sigh… Damn it, I must have forgotten them somewhere at the cafè. It was pointless to knock, I had just seen Yeleen leave in her mother’s car. I started to weigh in my options: I could run to the cafè and back to the dorm, it wouldn’t take me more than half an hour. This would mean, however, passing through that dark alley twice. I looked at the time on my phone, 2:34am. I sighed again, I wasn’t that brave… or that reckless, points of view I guess. It was also too late to call Chani and ask her to let me sleep in her room, I didn’t even know how her roommate would take it. She had also acted a little strange at the end of the night and I wasn’t sure what was going on. _Floor it is then_ I thought, the sun was going to raise in about three or four hours, then I would go back to the cafè and get my keys. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I slowly set in front of my door trying not to rip my new but vintage-looking dress. I hugged my legs and rested my forehead on my knees. The night, and actually the whole week, had been very stressful, so many things could have gone wrong. That ridiculous budget and the limited time we had to organise everything for starter, I still couldn’t believe how lucky we had been that Nina was there to save us right when we needed help. And tonight those two idiots fighting in the kitchen like two children, they accused me of still being hang up on high school but it clearly wasn’t me the one who hadn’t grown up. Things were different now, I was different. And I was also tired, really tired.

I realised I had dozed off when I felt a hand gently pushing my shoulder and a voice calling my name. I raised my head and blinked a couple of times, trying to make out, in the darkness of the hallway, the figure crouching in front of me. “Priya…?” I asked unsure.

“Candy what are you doing here in the corridor in the middle of the night?” she asked calmly.

“I lost my keys” yes, well, they weren’t really lost. I knew where they were, more or less, but I really didn’t want to talk about my fear of walking alone at night, not in that moment. Priya knew what had happened to me, I had confided in her and she had supported me when I finally decided to report those guys. But she was always so strong and confident, she had been through so much worse, I didn’t want her to think me as weak or easily scared. I looked at her as she raised and offered me her hand to help me get up. She was wearing a short robe, tight at her waist, that showed off her long toned legs and I felt myself blush a little.

“Why didn’t you came to my dorm room instead of curling up on the floor” she said a little annoyed, while pulling me up on my feet “your muscles must be sore right now.” Indeed they were, I realised with a pained grimace, and started to slowly stretch my arms and legs. “I didn’t want to bother you, I came back from the party pretty late. What time is it now?” I asked.

“Around 4:30. And that’s really stupid, you should have just called. I wasn’t even sleeping anyway. Come with me.” She started heading toward the end of the corridor and I followed her. “Actually, I could ask you the same thing, what are you doing here at this time?” I realised she was heading toward her room “Are you sure I can stay with you? What would your roommate think, having a stranger crashing her room in the middle of the nigh?”

“Firstly” she said “I couldn’t sleep and went to get some water from the vending machine” at those words I noticed the small bottle of water she was holding. “Secondly, my roommate went back home this weekend” then she added with a smirk over her shoulder “we have the room all to ourselves.” I felt my heart skip a beat. I knew she was joking but…

I had already been in her room a couple of times for our Friday night study sessions but I’d never seen it like this. A blanket was lying on the floor and the only light came from several candles lit on her desk and a small table. A soft music played, the volume low as not to disturb the people sleeping in the next room I guessed. She must have seen a surprised look on my face because she said “I told I couldn’t sleep, I was doing some breathing exercises and light meditation. I am going to clean all this up so you can get some sleep.” I was fascinated “No, no please, I am not sleepy anymore either and I’d like to see how this works. After our conversation on the beach I have been thinking about it, I always get too worked up and let my emotions out of control. You saw what happened a few weeks ago, I ended up at the infirmary.” She looked at me pensively while removing her robe “Fine, but simply watching is pointless, you would just see me lying on the floor. You are going to do it and I am going to guide you.” She was wearing a camisole and a small pair of boy shorts, I loved her style, a perfect mix of practical and feminine, she always looked incredibly sexy. She looked me up and down “I adore your dress but it won’t do” she turned and started rummaging through her wardrobe “Undress, I am going to find you a t-shirt.”

I instantly felt heath coming to my cheeks, _Don’t be ridiculous Candy, calm down!_ I was so nervous that I didn’t realise she was handing me something. “You can change in the bathroom if you prefer” she added somewhat apologetically. Always so perceptive, but I really shouldn’t make a fuss about this. “No, no, here is perfectly fine.” I removed my hat and put it, with my bag, on a small table. As I started to remove my gloves, I noticed she was staring at me and looked a little startled when our eyes met. She quickly turned around and started rearranging the blanked on the floor. A small satisfied smirk appeared on my lips. Priya was always so calm and sensible, it was a small victory to see her lose her cool for once, especially if it was because of me. “Actually, Priya, can you help me with this dress? It’s a pain to take it off.” It was only half a lie, a long line of small buttons closed the dress at the back, it had taken Rosalya and I ages to fasten them all that afternoon. I turned around and moved my hair over my shoulders showing her my back. I felt her hesitating a moment but then she got up and moved closer. She started unbuttoning from the top and I had a feeling she was doing it purposefully slowly. I could feel her knuckles and the tips of her fingers brush against my skin from time to time. When she finally got to the last one, right above my tailbone, she stepped back and I let the dress fall crumpling at my feet. I could feel her stare on me, without turning around I put on the pyjama she had lended me. It was a sleeveless night shirt dress, long enough to cover half the length of my thighs. I turned around and she looked at me appreciatively “You should keep it, it really suits you” she said winking ”Lie down on the floor, since it’s the first time we are only going to do some easy breathing exercises”.

Once I picked up the dress and put it on a chair (because, well… it was a really nice dress and I didn’t want to ruin it) and removed my shoes, I walked toward the blanket and started kneeling. A pained wince escaped my lips, falling asleep while crouched on the floor hadn’t really been the smartest idea. ”You are sore, aren’t you?” she asked. “Yeah, my muscles are all stiff” I said, and somehow managed to lie on my back. She kneeled next to me “Don’t worry” she whispered “I am going to help you with that.” She put a hand on my belly and said “You close your eyes and make deep breaths. Focus on your other senses. Touch, hearing… you’ll be able to relax in no time, you may even fall asleep.” I really doubted that, I had never felt more awake.  

I closed my eyes and started breathing deeply in and out, concentrating on the music, Zolita’s Holy started playing. I felt Priya’s fingers on my right shoulder drawing lazy circles, she caressed my neck so gently, featherlike, moving from my temple to my chin down to my collarbone. I had never been touched so softly so… lovingly. After a few moments she moved and I could feel both her hands on my shoulders, caressing down my arms to my wrists and up again. Her fingers were slightly cold while my skin felt scorching hot wherever she touched me. My head had completely blanked, all I could feel was her touch and the music. _Worship your body_ said the song, and that’s exactly what I felt she was doing, I was indeed at the mercy of her touch, and I was willing to take whatever she wanted to give me. I felt her hands leaving my arms and I had just moaned in protest when I felt them on my hips. I caught my breath when her fingers run down my legs, rubbing my thighs, then my knees down to my ankles. When she started moving up again I slightly parted my thighs. I felt her hesitate briefly, but then she moved her hands towards my inner thighs massaging there. I moaned appreciatively and she pushed them apart a bit more, settling between my legs. I felt her hovering over me, not quite touching, which was making me crazy. She moved my hair from my face and whispered in my ear “What do you want Candy?” never my name had sound so sweet on anyone’s lips “Tell me, I’d give you anything.” I finally opened my eyes and saw her looking down at me, longingly. Her eyes, which were of that amazing shade of blue, now looked really dark in the barely lit room. I thought I had always felt a little envious of her, her looks, her self-confidence, her strength. But lately I had realised that it really wasn’t envy. I didn’t want to be like her, I just wanted… her.

“More” I replied staring directly in her eyes “I want to feel more… please.” She must have been satisfied by that answer because she smiled impishly and moved her face closer to mine. I felt her lips on my temple, then on my cheek, on my chin and my neck. Once she reached the hollow of my throat between my collarbones, she started opening the buttons of the shirt, her own shirt that I was now wearing. Slowly, she left kisses whenever she opened a button. I wasn’t wearing a bra but she didn’t uncover my breasts, she just left the shirt slightly open and kept moving down until she reached my belly button, where she kept kissing and gently biting while she finished opening the remaining buttons. Our eyes met and I felt a shiver running through me, was she going to… I was really excited, but also a little scared. She must have seen it in my eyes because she didn’t move further down, but started heading back up, caressing me with her tongue and setting my skin on fire. Once she reached my chest she cupped my breasts over the shirt squeezing slights, and kept licking along my neck toward my ear where she whispered “Don’t worry Candy, we have all the time in the world.” She kissed my cheek again and lied down next to me.

I felt disappointed but also a little relieved. We both turned on our sides looking in each other eyes. I timidly lied one hand on her hip and she took a lock of my hair between her fingers and started playing with it. “I’ve always liked you” she said after a brief silence “I liked you in high school, but I really started falling for you since you came back in town” I looked at her, surprised “I…” I knew I was supposed to say something, I liked her too, a lot, but everything was so confusing. “Shhh…” she said sweetly “Don’t say anything. I’ve known who I am for years while this is all very knew for you. I just wanted to let you know how I feel and that, if you are willing to, we could take things slowly.” She looked at me sweetly but with seriousness. “I’d never do anything to scare you or make you uncomfortable. Would you like that?” I knew my answer right away “Yes” I said smiling and she smiled back at me. I didn’t know what the future had in store for us but I was looking forward to find out.  

And just like that, we fell asleep in each other’s embrace.


	6. Welcome Home

I really needed to blow off some steam and the gym was the right place to do it. Luckily Kim had given me a spare set of keys a few days before, stating that if I didn’t have enough time during the day I should find some during the night. She took really seriously her role of coach. I looked at my clothes while I closed the door behind me and locked up again, they really wouldn’t do, but I had left a spare outfit in a locker in anticipation of such an event. Well, not this specific event. I could have never imagined that Nath and Castiel would be at each other’s throat in the middle of an important event organised by me, treat me like shit and almost ruin my future career.  I might be slightly exaggerating but I was really pissed.

I went to the locker room and changed into my new gym outfit, top, shorts and running shoes. Once ready I tried fiddling with the sound system, I had no idea of what I was doing but I managed to put on a rock radio station, it would do. With that done I went to the treadmill and started running.

Those assholes, how could they treat me like that. Both of them. But him in particular… _I hate him._

I was running so fast that, when I felt someone touching my shoulder, I almost fell off the damn thing for the jump scare.

“I was just about to say to slow down, you could really hurt yourself.”

I was holding one hand over my heart looking at him shocked. How long had he been here?

“What the hell are you doing here, Nath?” I asked angrily “You almost killed me.”

He put his hands in his pockets and gave me one of his brand new mischievous smiles. “I also have a pair of spare keys and I often come at night. I prefer having the place for myself.” He looked me up and down “You, on the other hand, are a brand new addiction to my night-time activities. I won’t complain, I can’t say I am dissatisfied.”

The asshole, should I feel flattered? A few hours ago he had told me that he felt something for me that was more than friendship but that he would keep me at a distance for my own protection.

“Does this mean that you are going to stop avoiding me?”

He sighed “That was stupid of me, an endeavour doomed from the start. I lost the hang of acting nice and conscientiously, like a good boy. It has been a while.”

“That was you being nice?” I said incredulous and before he could replied I raised my hands and said “You know what? I don’t care. Are you going to tell me everything that has been going on with you? Everything. Right now.”

He hesitated a moment and said “Soon.”

Soon. Sure. He had said that for months. I was tired.

“Fuck off Nath. I mean it. You do your own thing and I do mine.”

I stormed off to the opposite side of the gym. And now what? I saw a pair of boxing gloves on the floor. Perfect!

I wore them and started punching the bag with all my strength. Easy task to do when I pictured it having blonde hair, golden eyes and a sarcastic smirk.

“Your posture is completely wrong you are going to end up straining a muscle.”

I growled. I literally growled. “What the fuck Nathaniel. I said leave me alone!”

“You also said you were going to do your own thing but you are kinda doing mine.”

“There’s another punching bag right over there” I said pointing at the other side of the gym “Just ignore me.”

“How could I, your punches are painful to watch. Even if I tried not to, I would know there was someone completely lacking in technique and style acting like a madwoman a few steps away from me. I can’t in good conscience let you do that.”

I was about to tell him to get lost again when he came behind me, put his arms around me and touching mine said directly to my ear “You need to put more strength here, otherwise you are going to hurt your wrists.” He started caressing my arms. “Let me show you how it’s done.” I felt a shiver run through me. “Or anything else, really.” He added, leaving a small kiss on my neck.

My elbow was about to connect with his stomach, just an inch away when he jumped backward and laughed. “That was really predictable, but I appreciate the effort.”

I growled again in frustration. Was it going to become a habit whenever I interacted with him? I removed the gloves, threw them on the floor in a childish act of protest and stormed to the female locker room. If he wasn’t going to leave me alone, I might as well leave.

I undressed and was just about to put on my clothes when my eyes landed on a sign. Steam Room.

I had never been in the gym steam room, it was always too crowded whenever I came in the afternoon but now I could get the place all to myself. Also, I really needed to blow off some steam, quite literally in this case. I was more worked up now than when I had entered the gym a while ago.

I removed my underwear and put a towel tight around me, it wasn’t very big but it would do. I raised my hair in a messy bun and headed to the steam room. Once I operated the thermostat to get the desired temperature (scorching hot) I sat on the steps. I could still hear the music playing in the background, I rested my had on the wall, closed my eyes and tried to relax.

“Wow, this is really hot.”

What had it been… five, ten minutes? I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

“And I am not talking about the temperature”

I opened my eyes and saw him at the entrance of the steam room looking at me with a wolfish grin. He was completely naked but for a towel tightened around his waist. _I don’t care… I don’t care… It doesn’t affect me…_ I kept repeating myself and with a bored expression I said “This is the women steam room.”

“I see no one complaining.”

“I am” I said, trying to keep my tone even “I am complaining.”

“Are you really?” he jumped on the steps and sat next to me, facing me. Coheed and Cambria’s Welcome Home started playing in the room.

I sighed, resigned “What do you want, Nath? Really.”

He looked at me up and down, then took one of my legs and put it in his lap “Help you relax, that’s all” and started massaging my foot. God… that was cheating. It must have been, surely. A small groan of pleasure escaped my lips and he looked at me quite pleased with himself. I readjusted my towel a bit because I knew that, in that position, he could have a pretty good view of the naked skin between my legs. I though he was going to comment but he just smirked and kept massaging me, moving a little higher on my ankles and my calf.

He really was a sight to behold. Lean muscled body and golden eyes, a few shades darker than usual looking at me hungrily. My legs, my arms, my breasts that the towel was barely able to contain, my neck. When he reached my face he said “God, you are sexy.”

“Thanks, I guess?” I replied, unimpressed.

“I’m just stating the truth, someone should do it in this relationship, it might as well be me.”

Without giving him the time to react I jumped on him, literally. I straddled him put both my hands in his hair and forced him to look at me in the eyes. I was probably pulling a little more than necessary because a slightly pained expression crossed his face, but he didn’t complain. I felt the towel fall uncovering my chest and rumpling at my waist. I didn’t care, I was too angry to care.

“The truth, asshole, really? I have been asking for the truth from you this whole time!”

“I meant the truth between us. You want me as much as I want you, admit it.”

I stared at him straight in the eye and I simply said “No.”

“Coward” he hissed.

I smashed my lips against his with violence and he answered back in a similar tone, putting his hands on my ass above the towel. It was more than a kiss… It was like we were both trying to prove our dominance. I kept pulling his hair and he kept squeezing my ass while our mouths were engaged in their own battle. With a final bite on his lower lip I went to stand up. “Not so fast, it’s my turn now” he said, and with unnerving ease he rolled us so that now I had my back on the stair and he was between my legs crushing me with his weight. His hands went immediately on my breasts squeezing and pinching and his mouth on my neck. Thank God his towel was still on because it was the only thing separating us down there. At some point I realised that I was both scratching his back and pulling him closer. _With sin I condemn you_ had said the song _Demon play Demon out_. I was about to lose the last strand of my sanity and said “Tell me the truth, please”. He paused in between kisses and whispered “Soon.”

My eyes snapped open. “Stop!” I snarled and he complied right away, sensing a change in the mood. I pushed him and he moved immediately. I got up, fastening my towel back on. I looked at him, flushed skin, messy hair also trying to come back from the high we were experiencing just a few moments ago. We looked at each other in the eyes for a few moments while breathing heavily. I spoke first.

“I won’t settle for anything less than outmost sincerity, Nath. I’m worth more than this.”

“Yes, you are.” He replied immediately. The first completely honest words he had said in a while.

“Call me when you get your shit together and you are ready to talk.”

With those words I left the steam room letting the door close behind me. This wasn’t over, I knew it very well, and he did too. In a few days he would be back playing his usual games of seduction and half-truths, but I had made my message very clear tonight, he knew where I stood and I was pretty sure it was in his outmost interest to sort this situation out quickly.

A shiver run through me even though my skin was still very hot, and the steam room was only partially responsible. One way or another I was going to figure out what was wrong with him. The old Nath was as fake as the new one, I was going to find the real person that lay beneath and, once I got my hands on him, there was going to be no way out. For either of us.


End file.
